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Man kills himself during standoff with police

A man fatally shot himself Tuesday night during a standoff with police in south Augusta.

Richmond County sheriff’s deputies were called to a home on Old Louisville Road twice Tuesday in reference to shots fired, authorities said.

During the second call, around 5 p.m., deputies found a man on nearby railroad tracks with a gun, threatening to shoot himself. They followed him to the 3300 block of Karian Drive, where he asked to see a friend.

Police set up a perimeter and called a negotiator and an armored car. The man refused to disarm, saying he had lost his job and girlfriend.

After more than an hour of negotiations, he shot himself. Richmond County chief deputy coroner Mark Bowen said he was pronounced dead at 7:06.

The man lived with his mother on Old Louisville Road. His identity will not be released as is The Augusta Chronicle’s policy in cases of suicide.